American Reacts to "Houses: German vs. American"

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[@TaiyakiFox]

Greetings from Germany 👋 The story about not having freezers is wrong. My fridge is fully visible and it has a freezer. All my friends have freezers too. My windows even have screens - because I don't want bugs or mosquitos inside 😅

[@lorenzsabbaer7725]

same

[@jonaswille4485]

Mhm can only partially agree, I mean I also know no one without a freezer and most of the times it’s included in the fridge but most of the fridges I have seen (in Houses, not apartments!) have blendet in fridges 🙆‍♂️

[@yannis1578]

And I know nowbody with a freezer in his fridge. It's a seperate device. Two of my friends have extra little ice cube fans inside their fridges. And my sister is the only person i know whos fridge isn't blended like the rest of the kitchen.

[@thorstenbrandt6256]

Since the kitchen is not part of the home - you buy it yorself or pay the one from the guy who lived in the flat before you so he leaves his old one it really depends. You find fridges that look like a fridge - even the two door american style ones you can put an entire cow in - and you will have the ones that blend in. SInce many germans live in rented spaces and the room for the kitchen is not that big the big fridges are not that common. Regarding the freezer... in the olden days of yore a small freezing part was standard in a german fridge. nowadays most people have - if possible - a seperate freezer in the cellar. So, you have your everyday stuff like butter, jam, eggs and salami in the fridge and if you need something else you make a short trip a few steps down and voila. Saves a lot of space in the kitchen ;-) ANd closets... if seen some in houses from the 50 and 60', but in this cases not for clothes, but to store cans and other goods for the kitchen. The "floating toilet makes it much easier to clean and the tank is not a great problem, too. The tank itself is made of plastic, so it's made for ages. And as you can see there is some plastic around the buttos, too. Revoving this you are at the top of the tank and can fix most problems yourself.

[@ghostshadow-thelabs7029]

a lot of information is wrong in this video...I guess it depends on where you are in Germany and how much you pay for a living. I do have a house and a side by side fridge inkluding a freezer and ice cube maker...I know a lot of people who have the same...I do not have any friends/family members which do not have any freezer. but this is only one thing in this video that is a little wrong as it does not represents the whole country or most of people living in Germany.

[@foofourtyone]

The fridge blending in is actually pretty comon and not only in the early days. I am 46 years of age and can't remember, that we had a free standing fridge. Nowadays it seems to shift a little towards free standing fridges. But, we do have freezers, usually separated and often in the basement.

[@manub.3847]

built-in fridge/freezers appeared in the 1970s. Before that, there were more chest freezers. Today some tend again to set up fridge-freezers as "extra devices" without furniture panels. These devices are usually a bit cheaper and they often have a little more interior space.

[@chrisschumannrocketjaxx4750]

I was about to write exactly this. It's even more common in older houses and people are shifting to free standing ones.

[@michaelmedlinger6399]

True, outside doors nearly always have no way of entering without a key. His description of the windows is correct. The radiators are also common (although I have had underfloor heating in my last two apartments). Nearly everything else is NOT typical. He also failed to point out that the sloped ceilings are an issue on the top floor of the building only. Not only is his flat modern, it is also very large. Having a shower AND a tub in one bathroom is more of a luxury, and that is a HUGE bathroom. If his fridge doesn‘t have a small freezer, there is almost certainly a separate freezer unit somewhere. People have freezers!

[@slin7186]

I would add that many German houses are built with other materials. For example they have wide walls with a massive insulation to save head inside and much concrete to let them be more stabile. There are much more expensive and not easy to build or buy. They are designed to be durable for future generations. Great Video!

[@varjo.]

Probably my favorite part of the German windows is that you can have it open even when it rains, that’s a function I never hear talked about in these kinds of videos. For me the favorite part of our windows is the fact that I can tilt the window open and get the delicious rain smell and fresh air without it raining inside. Germany also has very harsh weather, hurricanes, floods etc. that’s not the thing that’s hindering us from building multiple story homes, we use much better building materials so even multi-story buildings are not affected by bad weather conditions. If you punch an American wall, you will break your wall, of you punch a German wall, you will break your bones. The multi-story thing, I think, is purely due to utilizing space effectively, Germany want to use as little space as possible as effectively as possible, and since we have such a dense population you don’t have the liberty to spread out horizontally, so instead we spread out vertically.

[@sobelou]

The main reason why German houses tend to be more vertical and they are far closer than in the US is essentially one of space: You have nearly 84 million Germans living in a space the size of Montana, and on top of that. close to 30% of the territory is dedicated to Nature.

[@T0MT0Mmmmy]

Forest alone makes up 30%! Another 50% is farming.

[@fixzeichner5592]

A lot of things are not quite right there. The gentleman has probably not yet been to different houses and has not yet got to know many German places. There are also houses in Germany that only have one floor. We also have natural disasters such as floods, storms and sometimes tornadoes. The houses in Germany are built more solidly than is usual in the USA. Wooden houses are not so common here. The German toilets are not the same everywhere. There are also toilets that are not attached to the wall but to the floor, and flushing cisterns are not always under the tiles. The windows to tilt and open are the normal standard in Germany. Of course there are also shower curtains, but you have to buy and attach them yourself. There are also glass walls that are used to disguise showers. The inclination of the roofs is also not the same throughout Germany. In regions where a lot of snow falls, for example in the mountains, they are built steeper than in areas with mostly little snow.

[@silkyh]

Exactly

[@wunwun9974]

Thanks so much, I was looking for for this comment!

[@markflint2629]

You do understand that that house is like the majority of the world and America is the odd one out.

[@jojojux]

​@BarbuWagaMaga ._.

[@energeticstunts993]

i don't really think so...

[@markflint2629]

@@energeticstunts993 I do

[@MissRed92837]

I’m Swiss, currently living in the US. Yes, the US is the odd one in many, many things! The problem is, that Americans are brainwashed into thinking everything in the US is the most high standard technology and in general everything in the US is much better than in the rest of the world. Reality is that the rest of the world evolved and are constantly updating everything and the US is stuck on a standard from the 1950ties.

[@pauldenby878]

He really was completely obsessed by the toilet! 😁

[@dieZera]

We do have frides / freezers / fridge freezers both built in and freestanding. Many people got a fridge in the kitchen and the freezer in the basement, but there is all sort of combinations. We do NOT lack freezers.

[@N_K12695]

Door: When you get your first keys as a child you learn to be sure to have them in your hand or pocket BEFORE you close the door. Or make it a habbit to put the key into the outside lock when leaving since you have to turn it once or twice in order to lock the door properly. If you have neighbours you trust, you often swap keys with them.

[@geekexmachina]

You get those windows in the UK in modern flats we had them in my university halls. Also you can get those toilets in the UK you tend to find them in pubs/ restaurants because they are easy to clean underneath. usually there is a panel behind it where the cistern is so if it needs fixing you just unscrew the wall panel for access. The showerhead over the bath is often used for washing your hair we have those in the UK too.

[@melissabarrett9750]

A lot of similarities to Australia, especially in the better quality homes

[@Kari_B61ex]

I can remember locking myself out a few times when I first moved to Germany - luckily the back door was open so I just had to walk around the block to get back in. I also remember thinking I had broken the window, as it opened inwards. I lived in Germany for 6 years in the 90s, when we were there it was like we had 'proper' seasons. Hot summers and very cold winters - one winters morning it looked like it had been raining - I walked out and went right up on my backside as it was black ice! I then had to spend ages gritting the pavement (sidewalk) outside of our house, as in Germany the pavement outside of your home is your responsibility and if anyone else slips they can sue you... we used to have to have a million deutschmark liability insurance... just in case of slips and accidents.

[@TheSchuetzeP]

Yeah, liability insurance or "Haftpflicht" as we call it Is a common thing to have here and they are not very expensive - and while they will not protect you from a court case in the worst case scenario, they can make your life a lot easier if you ever cause someone or something harm through carelessness or lesser negligence.

[@michaelkuschnefsky362]

There are also tornadoes in Germany, I live in northern Germany in the middle of a tornado area. The fact that there are often multi-storey houses here has more to do with the size of the country. The USA is over 30 times larger than Germany, everything is a bit narrower here in Europe and therefore the houses are built closer together and multi-storey. Greetings from Schleswig-Holstein kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnmXZoSvfZienJY

[@tigrib9045]

The thing about not having build-in closets in our bedrooms is because we don't specify rooms apart from the kitchen and obviously the bathroom to a specific usage. So you can turn a room into your living room, your bedroom or your office, whatever you feel like and if you choose to use it as an office, you don't need space for clothes. And what the others said about freezers is absolutely correct. If you don't have a mini freezer next to the fridge, you'll have a bigger freezer somewhere else, quite often in the basement.

[@johnfisher9816]

This video is consistent with my experiences in Germany. Canada is like the US, as he described. In central Germany, I stayed with friends at their parents' four-story farm house. The village was untouched by the war, so the house was original. Regardless, it had been kept up to date with modern windows, bathrooms, etc. For context, the "new" part of the village church was still called the new part and its cornerstone stated 1492!!! The old part was from the 1100's. John in Canada

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Quote of the Day: “He’s really going in-depth with these toilets.”

[@karrywright9359]

😂 I think his toilet is the same as those across Europe & certainly the uk. I guess his detail shows how different this was for him 🤣

[@lachlanmain6004]

Yeah, JP was looking a bit flushed there.

[@karrywright9359]

@@lachlanmain6004 🤣🤣🤣

[@davebirch1976]

In the UK the fridge/freezer blending in with the rest of the kitchen was a popular thing in the 90s, my parents house still has one, the top part is the fridge and the bottom part is the freezer.

[@wrigjo101]

Fridges in the uk are hidden by wooden doors in the UK as are washng machins and dishwashers. Its called a fitted kitchen

[@LuziBeerbaum]

You should definately check out "Geography Now - Germany". Toilets in germany come in all shapes, sizes and even types. Theres actually even an institute that does all kinds of science on them. It's a constant evolution.

[@berlindude75]

The water tank of the toilet is hidden inside the tiled protrusion offset from the actual wall. And said tank can be accessed through a bigger hole in the tiles by removing the visible clip-in panel for the toilet flushing knobs covering said hole.

[@Lineflyer2]

Yep...typically refrigerators are really blend in in german kitchens. Lately the trend however goes to free standing ones.

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

Without doubt, the finest household features developed in Germany are their standard windows.

[@melissabarrett9750]

They appear to be double glazed with an inbuilt blind. That not only acts as heat and noise insulation but would keep the blinds from getting dirty

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

@@melissabarrett9750 Yes, that is so in some cases. In most modern homes, however, blinds are electrically controlled and sit inside of where the windows may be opened ajar to allow for free flow of fresh air.

[@leDespicable]

@@melissabarrett9750 Many windows in newly built homes nowadays are even triple or quadruple glazed

[@EinChris75]

His house is really very modern. Refrigerators are integrated into the furniture, if it is a more expensive kitchen. But they can also have some sub zero (zero Centigrade) compartment. But there are also a ton of stand alone refrigerators. Like the huge us type ones, where you can walk in and get lost. Not all windows have Rollläden. It is a extra in order to save energy or to have the room really dark at night. It is always possible to add a net against bugs to the windows, but there are not that many bugs around. And in particular many don't fly that high. So if you live on the 3rd floor or above, you won't meet that many bugs or bees. Many windows have a 4th option, though... where the lever is in between horizontal and vertical open. Then the window won't tilt, but sill have a small gap open at the frame. And finally. Not all toilets look like his. This is again a very modern one. There are ones with a water tank visible and those standing on the floor as well. His bathroom has a shower and a tub... Also more expensive and above standard. Typically you have only one. And if you have just a tub, you have a curtain.

[@dnocturn84]

"Very modern"??? What? Now I'm really curious how the place looks where you live. Everything shown in this video is in a style of the early 2000s to mid 2000s. There is not a single item, that I would consider "modern". Kitchen: my kitchen has an integrated fridge. Yes, it was an expensive one, but my last two kitchens also had this feature and those were not expensive at all, while I was still renting. Btw my refrigerator also lacks a freezer, just like in the video, but I do have freezers as stand-alone models as well. A smaller one in the kitchen, a larger one in the basement. All of my windows have Rolladen. Modern ones are smart home connected and electric operated ones. The ones in the video are old ones with a manual rope to move them. Mine are manual as well. Radiators: most people have switched to floor heating. But sure, radiators are still the most common heating system out there. The toilet: I have not seen a toilet that is attached to the floor and with a visible water tank for decades. You might still be able to find such a model in a hardware store for cheap. Regarding his bathroom: these ones are old and cheap versions of a tub and shower. Modern showers are at the same level as the floor and lack a mini-tub part at the floor. Folding doors are not a trend anymore. Modern showers usually use glas doors, unless you have a lack of space. Your statement sounds like you compare it with a flat? Are you talking about a flat? Then remember, that he is presenting a house, not a small flat.

[@Anson_AKB]

@@dnocturn84 i consider 2000+ to be 'modern' or even 'new', while many buildings are 'after war new builds' from the 50s, 60s and 70s. and we live in an appartment in a house (ground floor for shops, and 4 upper floors without elevator) in the middle of a big city that was not destroyed and built in 1895: pretty large rooms with no closets allowing to use each of them for any purpose (sleep, live, work, children, etc; i live here all my life for decades and over time lived in every of them :-), tiny bathroom with a storage room above it (accessible by a ladder, used to be the maiden's bedroom, sharing an outside toilet on 1st floor for all of the maidens), big kitchen with wooden floor (thus we have a washing machine in the wetroom/bathroom), thick (50+ cm, 2 feet) isolating brick walls, etc. quite some difference to american suburb wooden ranches or tearing down houses every few decades and building new skyscrapers.

[@dnocturn84]

@@Anson_AKB Ok, I get your point and assume a similar mentality behind the original comment as well. There really is no "amount of years" that puts any limits to calling something "modern". Sure. Agreed. While I agree with your statement, you have to realize, that you limited yourself to call it "modern" - which is different from the original comment - at least for me. That original comment says: "really very modern". I'm a little bit triggered by the "very" - part of this statement. Because calling it somewhat modern is pretty ok for me. Maybe some people call something build in the 1990s still "modern". But "very modern" suggest something really recently for me. In this case max. 10 years; 5 years feels even more comfortable for me. I own a house by now, but rented 4 different appartments in my life so far. So I'm not totally unaware, maybe a bit rusty by now. But when I moved to a new flat, and everything in it was build with state-of-the-art styles, designs and technology, then this was "very modern" for me. A flat that was modernized some 10 years ago, that may not come with all state-of-the-art-stuff, but still comes with features, that were standard some 10...15 years ago, may still be called "modern", when compared to other available flats around this place. But a place that is equipped with stuff from the 2000s? This is 20+ years old by now, is not viewed as building and technology standard anymore and should at least not be called "very modern" anymore. What isn't viewed as "modern" anymore in this case? Coal and wood ovens, to heat up each room individually, a toilet with a hanging water tank and a hanging chain to flush the toilet, windows with a single piece of glass without any insulation and a kitchen with cold water-only supply? Maybe a pantry instead of an refrigerator? I'm sorry, if I sound aggressive to you. This is not meant to offend you at all.

[@Anson_AKB]

@@dnocturn84 not taking any offense ... with the wide age range of houses and various degrees of rebuilding/renovation (hehe, this house currently gets a new 5th floor instead of the old roof, probably with really very modern interior/kitchen/etc on that floor, and an outdoor elevator for all since it then has more than 4 upper floors), it is difficult to have simple definitions, and detailed explanations should help to clarify. btw: we have a single glass window in the bathroom and a new triple glass window in the kitchen, and 35+ years ago we were the first to install central gas heating (with a ring of pipes and radiators) for this appartment, but still have a coal oven as backup in the living room :-)

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Drinking Game: Have a sip of water when Joel mentions ‘German Engineering’ in a video. Your skin will clear up. You’re welcome.

[@pauldenby878]

😆

[@jakgats1411]

german toilets use the washdown flush system, american toilets use the siphonic system. both have their advantages and disadvantges. siphonic have a higher water level in the bowl which can causes more splashbacks when dropping deuces, plus an overall weaker flush leading to more blockages. the washown has less water in the bowl, which means scrubbing mud off the bowl more often, but has a stronger flush meaning less blockages.

[@lindasweeney969]

Australia has the wash down. Sounds like a much better system.

[@bvino-rosso1913]

Biggest differences are the build quality particularly the walls being concrete and not wood and plaster, and that most houses have a cellar

[@biloaffe]

I also have to say something about the toilets: 1. There are different toilets here. There are some that stand on the ground and some that hang. There are also different variants inside. 2. For rinsing: There are different variants here too. They are available with a direct connection to the pipe, they are available with a so-called top-mounted cistern (this is visible) and there are they with a so-called concealed cistern (this is not visible). 3. The amount of water. All cisterns have a 10 liter water container, but you can set the amount of water that should be used for flushing (it is set once and then stays that way). Old toilets are designed in such a way that you need about 10 liters to flush everything away. Modern toilets are designed so that 6 liters are enough (all for the sake of the environment and to save precious water).

[@Frohds14]

Front doors in Germany also have a door knob function. You have to move a small tick in the lock with your finger nail, then the door opens when you press against it, without the key. The video creator probably hasn't discovered it yet. Our houses are built of stones and today they are also thickly insulated. This is extremely expensive compared to the cardboard houses in the US and the uninsulated houses in the UK. This is why garages are no longer built into new houses, a car doesn't need full insulation. My grandparents built my house in the 1960s, they built the garage into the house and later added another garage. Whether there is access from the garage into the house varies. I'm glad I haven't any because benzene is carcinogenic. Of course we also have one-storey houses. But not in our bigger cities, because the place there is extremely expensive, we have to built houses with less space. In the UK, space is so scarce that you see entire small towns with 20 houses in a row. It is simply cheaper and more environment friendly to build narrow and small and also to be modest with the space. We like it cozy and narrow and not ostentatious and big. We have enough palaces and castles for that. In the meantime, many houses no longer have radiators but underfloor heating. I just had my house converted to a passive house. That's why I don't need radiators and air conditioning, the underfloor heating cools and heats with solar energy and geothermal. Of course we also have freezers or freezer-chests. We usually don't have them in the kitchen, but in the basement. As we don't like ice cubes, the fridges haven't a ice cube maker and the fridge and two or three freezing drawers don't need so much space. We also have our washing machine in the basement. You don't have to have a dryer, because nobody is ashamed to hang their underwear out in the garden. It's not common to have it in the kitchen only in bigger houses in the city, which in earlier times had one laundry room for all tenants. Yes, we usually don't have closets. Because our walls are also made of stone, it's expensive. Most newer houses have walk-in closets, a separate room just for clothes with the main bedrooms. Much larger than a closet. Fly screens are only needed near the water. The mosquitoes are not so aggressive in Germany. However, I have screens at my window which can be extended via the shutter control. Before that, I had some that were attached with Velcro. Sloping ceilings are not everywhere. Not in the house I own , but I lived in two, yes. It depends on the area and the year it was built. A converted attic saves money. Always remember, our houses are made of stone not cardboard and are heavily insulated, - which makes houses almostt 3 times more expensive than in the US. So you should use the full space. Because we build smaller, we don't have a private bathroom for every bedroom. There is usually a large bathroom with a shower and tub for the family and a guest bathroom with a shower. In houses from the 1970s and 80s you often find a bidet aswell. That was fashionable back then. He has completely forgotten that German apartments usually do not have a fitted kitchen when they are rented out. Since everyone has different preferences, tenants bring their own kitchen. Accessories that thekitchen can be adapted to the new apartment for little money are available in every hardware store, OBI e.g.. You don't paint kitchen cabinets here, you buy new fronts and desks and add one, if you need so.

[@Kloetenhenne]

Umm, definitely NOT all the doors have that thingy you can switch around for a doorknob function. What are you talking about?

[@biloaffe]

Regarding the front doors: We now have different versions of door locks. There are some that lock the lock automatically (can also be retrofitted). The locks lock when I leave the house or apartment and open automatically when I approach the door. They are also available with a fingerprint sensor or numerical code. Then I no longer need a key, but as a precaution you should always have your key with you in case there is a power outage or the batteries are empty.

[@thelordmaster3575]

Refrigator in Germany: It depends just to your choice. The range of different refrigerators is great! So You can have a refrigerator with or without and integrated freezer as well as You can have refrigerator as a stand free option or included into thy kitchen closets. Toilets in Germany: The range of toilets in Germany is as well large. You can have "Flachspülerr" (wash-out) as well as a "Tiefspüler" (wash-down) - and You can have the water box integrated in the wall (mostly in new houses because it looks smarter) or just installed directly on the wall. You can have toilets mounted on the ground floor as well at on the wall with no connection the floor (it's easier to clean the floor)

[@leDespicable]

The part regarding the steep roof is actually not universal, it differs regionally. In southern Germany - especially Bavaria - roofs actually only have very slight inclines compared to central and northern Germany

[@bananenklops9738]

We also have stand alone fridges, but it is true, that it is very common to have it integrated and blended to the rest of the kitchen. But many kitchens have also a freezer, often below or above the fridge, also blended and integrated. But it is also common to have a separate, big freezer either in the basement or in some sort of a storing room. (I have both: a small integrated freezer in the kitchen which I mainly use for ice cubes, and another big one in my storage / utility room)

[@JohnHazelwood58]

Every german house or flat is different ... my german home doesn't look like anything as in his video ...

[@turbotino1975]

Toilet: In Germany two different versions are typical. Flachspüler: The whole is in the front. If you s... it fells down on ceramic surface which you have to clean by brush every time during flushing. Tiefspüler: The whole is like in the video at the back end. If you s.... sometimes waterdrops can reach the ass cheeks because of the s... is falling directely into the water. Cleaning is not so often necessary. Both versions you can get in every Baumarkt - hardware store. Door handle is of course a topic of taste. Definately many people every year lock themselves out and have to pay a few 100 € to unlock the door by professionals if no second key is available. On the other hand you do not need to use a key to make it unpossible for someone else to get in without picking the lock. Espescially for short time leaving home it is more simple to just pull the door closed...

[@anunearthlychild8569]

We do have bungalows in Germany, but almost only in the suburbs. They were once very popular in the 70s. There are also freezers, strange that he thinks there are none.🤣 And also some other things are not quite right

[@MissRed92837]

I’m almost 50 years old and I have never seen a refrigerator with no freezer in Europe. Regarding heating, most houses built after the year 1990 have floor heating. Older buildings have the heating radiators.

[@silkyh]

one thing I missed in the US was a floor heating system. My feet were always cold

[@m.h.6470]

Built-in closets are not a thing in Europe in general. I have yet to see a country other than the US, that has that as a norm. For refrigerators: if you have a fitted kitchen, then yes. the refrigerator is typically hidden and (most of the time) has no freezer compartment or only a tiny one. But not all kitchens are fitted and not all fitted kitchens come with a refrigerator, in those cases, you typically have a separate standalone frigde-freezer-combination device - although typically much smaller than the US counterparts. Besides that, most people have an additional freezer in the basement or cellar.

[@melissabarrett9750]

Australia has built in (and in some cases) walk-in closets as part of the bedroom

[@m.h.6470]

@@melissabarrett9750 haven't been to Australia yet, so I haven't seen it. 😉 I have been to US and most European Countries though (only missing Portugal and some of the eastern countries).

[@lindasweeney969]

@@melissabarrett9750 But only the houses that were built later. Up to 70's and early 80s houses in Aust. didn't have built in wardrobes. You had to make sure they were put in out of choice. The cheaper the builder the less likely. I'm from Sydney and our house was built in 1978 and it has no built in wardrobes. I'm really glad that they do now though. Both my kids have built in's and I would have loved it if this one did.

[@Tickle193]

Greetings from Germany. It's kinda funny, how he sees his own house as the german standard. He definitely has not seen many german houses from the inside. 😂

[@TheDude50447]

The part about the fridges blending in is mostly true. I see that often. I also dont know a single person that doesnt have some sort of freezer. My parents have this huge chest like freezer in the basement. Literally since the 70s and its never been broken. What I see often is also a 2 part fridge with a freezer top or bottom.

[@asmodon]

Quite astute of you to recognise the blanket statements. There are quite a few of them in this video. But let’s say what he says about doors, windows radiators and toilets is generally true. He is less accurate about houses never beeing far apart or Germans not having the freezers.

[@spyindisguise2882]

His point about freezers wasn't their complete absence, but more about the fact that it's not as common to have a built-in freezer unit inside a fridge as it is typical in the US

[@mizudoragonyt1738]

And another tip and that is again from experience, the chains still sell purely for that reason, it's just called an insect screen, it's such a funny net thing that you spun in front of the window So that insects don't get in

[@jenniferharrison8915]

Yes it's a modern house! No old houses have built-in closets or ensuites! Those windows are modern too and common in most new European units! This looks similar to Dutch houses, except they have steep narrow stairs, no garage and are very close together! Small bathrooms and wet rooms, are common in Europe and Asia too! Outer Suburban!? 😏

[@biloaffe]

Well, I don't know where he got this information, but of course the homeowners also have freezers or chest freezers. That depends on how big a kitchen is. The kitchens in many apartments are smaller and simply do not have space for such large refrigerators and freezers. But they are also available in the form of two devices arranged one above the other (refrigerator above, freezer below), since they are then usually integrated into the cupboards, you cannot see the devices straight away.

[@biloaffe]

In Germany there are many different versions of insect screens. Here too it depends on how much money I have available for it. An example about the roller blinds: We have 29 windows in our house, the largest of which measures 2.75 m x 3.50 m. We have all roller blinds with electric motors on 27 windows. On the ground floor, everyone is controlled by a timer or via WiFi. The gentleman in the video had manual blinds on his windows. Motors are just more expensive.

[@susanneostermann6956]

hello, the freezer/fridhe thing depends on how you live and how your kitchen is designed. in my kitchen, there is no room for a big, freestanding fridge-freezer-combo, so i have a small on with a little freezing box inside which is pretty standard in simple kitchen. build-in-kitchens often have a fridge like the shown one with another door directly under it containing a three or four drawer freezer. bigger kitchen either have a free-standing combo like the american ones or a freestander with the fridge above and the freezer below. many people living in bigger houses have extra room for freezers in the basement. 🙂

[@Commandelicious]

Ah, my toilet is mounted to the ground, has a water basin thing, his is just hidden behind the tyles.

[@LineKlein]

I dont remember ever having to work on anything inside the tank part of a toilet. The only thing that happens once in a blue moon is the toilet backing up. which is usually an easy fix with a plunger

[@Foatizenknechtl]

8:45 those water tanks usually dont make any problems at all in the first 5-10 years. after that sometimes the pedal doesnt close perfectly anymore because of lime scale. but you can always easily take off the cover of the water pedal (the one to flush) because theyre just clipped in with a spring. just throw a bit of anti calcification tabs in there and youre good to go for another few years :D

[@Foatizenknechtl]

also this dudes experience is pretty accurate. its spot on in every point for the area where i lived all my life.

[@piiinkDeluxe]

The blended freezer is not a modern thing. My parents' kitchen is from the 80s and they have a blended fridge AND freezer. In fact, American style fridges are becoming a bit more popular here as well.

[@biloaffe]

1. Most single-family homes have an integrated garage, but there are also carports. 2. There used to be no tornadoes in Germany, but in recent years, due to climate change, they have become more frequent and increasingly severe.

[@mizudoragonyt1738]

That is correct so yes he does appear to have a separate bleed and separate bath but if you already have a shower head on the bath then why use the separate shower It's called efficiency if you don't run through half the bathroom fixtures with the shower head while it's running, nothing will spill, then it's called a rag Should be very helpful if necessary on the mop😊

[@nordwestbeiwest1899]

In Germany we have all this as standard around the house!

[@Commandelicious]

We have many tornadoes here. Paris-Warsaw is the second most active Tornado Alley on the Planet. They are usually a lot less harmless. But a nice little Category 3 Tornado ripped apart a small settlement a few years back near Aurich. I have pictures of that. German stone building DO NOT SURVIVE that. I always thought they would, nope. No chance. Easily to look for on youtube too.

[@nadinechen8819]

The freezer is just usually very tiny or set apart from the fridge. We had 1 big seperately kept freezer in the Hauswirtschaftsraum

[@TZBuer]

There is a way to let the door open from outside without a key. On the side there is a little pin when yo put it up the door will close but is not locked you can pull it open

[@attilaforever3414]

The toilette he shows in the the only ones u´ll find in germany. You also have toiletts witth a visable tank and that is going down into the ground. its not like there are no freezers typically there is a small freezer inside the fridge. You also have a sepperate freezers that is a seperate units.

[@DerMarodeur]

The featured house is just one type of houses, and each house is different from others. So what he shows is not universally valid. Almost everyone has a freezer. if you don't have that much space, for example in a small apartment, or if the kitchen is small, then in Germany you usually have a fridge-freezer combination. Or a fridge with a small freezer compartment (if that's enough for you). But most have a separate freezer, which then also has significantly more content than in a combination. However, the large combinations with ice makers and juice or water dispensers are also becoming increasingly popular. The bathroom is also not always the same, depending on whether it is older or modern. The fact that the toilet is attached to the wall and the flushing box behind the wall paneling is not only for aesthetic reasons, but you can also clean the bathroom much better, you have a smooth wall surface instead of an annoying water tank and you can easily slide the floor under the Wipe the toilet instead of always wiping around the toilet. You have fewer corners where the dirt can settle. The water box and the installation can usually be reached quite easily. Everything is behind a panel in which inspection openings are located. Because these are tiled just like the rest of the wall, they don't stand out. Overall, people in Germany make sure that resources such as water etc. are used sparingly, so the toilets are designed in such a way that a good result is achieved with as little water consumption as possible. Incidentally, the shower nozzles in the bathtub are not intended for showering, but for rinsing out your hair when you take a bath and have washed your hair in the tub. In Germany it is more popular to use a shower than a bathtub, which is why many apartments only have showers and no bathtubs. The sloping walls on the upper floor are usually found in houses where no large storage is required, so the top floor can be used as living space. In the case of rented apartments or houses, part of the actual living space is then deducted. Anyone who builds a house in Germany, regardless of whether it is a single-family house or a two-family house, is planning it with an architect according to their own ideas, regardless of whether the client lives in it himself or rents it out. Therefore, almost every house is different. Also, if you buy a terraced house "from the catalogue", for example, you can still bring in your own ideas or changes and make the house more individual.

[@Bioshyn]

The fridge thing is definitely something, but we do have fridges with a freezer compartment, that's not common to not have a freezer.

[@BlumenwieseDesign]

Well, most houses I know DO have a garage or carport directly attached as well. And I don't know anyone here without at least one freezer 😅 If it's not in the fridge, many people have a big freezer in the cellar, usually not in the kitchen, but cellar rooms are rooms where guests usually don't step in. The blended fridges are pretty normal, as well as blended dishwashers. The window is pretty usual for Germany. I guess visible water tanks in the bathroom compared to those in the wall are about 50/50, it's both pretty common.

[@TheSchuetzeP]

This guys observations are mostly pretty standard. What he is slightly off on is: A) Yes our fridges have freezers, though they are often behind a separate door and not inside the fridge - you buy them together tho normally. (And while he's right that we love to hide the fridge, you will also see american style free standing fridges.) What we don't really have are huge box freezers. B) You will definitely sometimes see screens - but Germany is traditionally a colder place so the insect density is bearable most of the year. C) Toilets will very often be mounted to the floor and/or have a tank that is visible. - BUT even here: The ones mounted to the floor tend to have a pipe that goes into the wall rather than into the floor. The fall pipe for the sewage, is usually in the wall, because as he rightly mentioned, houses are almost never single floor, so having that pipe under the toilet would lead to some architectural headaches.

[@mucxlx]

Older toilets mount to the ground. And the tank is in the drywall behind it. If you remove the button you can access it.

[@Blvckbirdz]

I would say most people in Germany have fridges with freezers or a fridge and a seperate freezer. At least I don't know anyone in Germany without some kind of freezer. The other information is mostly correct in my opinion.

[@spyindisguise2882]

I'm quite certain that it was simply a poor choice of words regarding the specific combination of fridges and freezers. It's more noticable when he refers to US fridges right afterwards.

[@JackNapierDe]

For the kind of new windows he shows, screens are easily available. My friend has those and even a western door style screen at the balcony door (which also tilts). For older, eps. wooden windows screens might have to be custom made.

[@juttastahler291]

The toilet. I was in Canada in 2019, I was almost shocked when I had to go to the toilet there. So much water in the bowl. It's not true that toilets in Germany don't have a water tank or a foot, it always depends on how old the bathroom is. Btw, American refrigerators are becoming more and more modern, even here in Germany.

[@bea3ce687]

It is pretty standard to habe a built in fridge, but it is absolutely not standard to *NOT* have a freezer. I have never seen a house without. Sometimes they will be sold separately, because, when you buold them in a cabinet, you build them separately (one cabuner for fridge, one for freezer). So I think someone in the house he is renting just never installed a freezer... which is pretty weird.

[@sedmidivka]

I fixed my floating toilet myself :D it was a journey and if you have big arms you probably would need help. but you can access the water tank and flushing system through the hole behind the flushing button, it covers and opening made for this reason - to access the mechanisms. it's actually unreal how you can completely take apart the whole flushing mechanism through that small opening

[@Microtubui]

everything he told about is true^^ even in old buildings^^

[@vanessaglockner7671]

So the fridge blending in is absolutely true. Most houses, also older ones, have those. But he's wrong about the freezers. Everyone I know has one, it's just not part of the fridge but usually its own thing. Mostly underneath the fridge.

[@AbblittAbroad]

When I lived in Spain I had the external metal roller blinds (called persianas there) that were operated by a remote control. That was probably the major thing I would have brought home to Australia with me.

[@lukassteinbrink322]

8:30 Actually we have both in Germany Floating toilett seats and those mounted to the ground. And we also have two systems for tanks. Those who are inside the wall and, like in my home, tanks that are mounted to the wall. At older buildings those canister are mounted to the wall but right under top of the room and you have to pull a chain after you're done. Comming to carpots and garages: We have both. In my home, that was build in 1994, so it's not that old, we have a garage also connected to the main house but no way to enter it from garage but of course the main entrence is just like 10 steps so no problem. We also have garages connected to the house that also have an entrence to it so you don't need to go to the main entrence but according to my experience most have a Garage that is connected to the house without an entry to it or carpots and not to forget the pre-build garages that will be, totally ready to use, transpoted to your property but those are not connected at all to the main building. The part with the main door has totally simple reason called "Safty". When I watch American movies I have the feeling that every stranger who wants could open the door and come in in best case unnoticed by the owner so easy going to sneak around and steal stuff while you are maybe in your room with you PC and don't recognize anything at all cause you may wearing headphones with music or the sound of the game you are playing. Fly-screens. I Fly-screens on windows at least in Spring till mid of autumn,

[@cadeeja.]

Not all toilets are floating here. And yes, most fridges are blended into the cabinets.

[@tasadasa9363]

Well, Most of the german households have freezers but in general that’s the truth about German flats. I think since 40 to 50 years german toilets have no visible tanks. I live in my rental flat since 20 years and had never an issue with the tank. If there is one those BIG buttons for flushing are the entryway behind the wall to fix the issues. Mostly those buttons are stop buttons for flushing less water ore they are separated to choose how much water you want to flush and this is not climate change related, it’s since decades. Many houses in Germany are very good insulated like mine, like they thickened the walls from outside and changed the windows to very modern and thick ones, so I have much less heating costs. And in my case we have since two month sun collectors at the roof for making our own electricity, but that is not so common yet.

[@_gero]

Pretty good statements, but from this single person‘s experience. You can have blinds (many are just a Euro and attached with velcro) and shower curtains. And there are sooo many types of fridges - with very small freezer compartments, with larger ones, split in half or in 2/3 and whatnot. You get everything here. Also, not every house has the blackout Rolladen, but many do.

[@petersp63]

my Refrigerator Blends in also our Front Door has no knob! here in UK, But I do love the toilet you can clean under it! but having a wool rug YUCK especially with my Dad's Aim!! lol

[@andrewlocke4609]

i liedd in germany for 3 years and the weather in germany when it snows you can get up to 2ft of snow and when it rains floods can happen. i livedd in a old style house and the thing is true with refrigerators is true the only place i saw a us fridge was when i visited us military base housing

[@biloaffe]

1. Of course there are also houses in Germany that are 1 km or more apart, but only in the countryside. 2. In Germany there are a lot of houses that only have one floor, the ground floor.

[@Isa-de2yf]

We do have mosquito screens... We just don't want them in winter, when there is literally no bugs. You normally go to a drugstore, buy velcro tape and screen fabric sold in neat packages for this purpose, and install it yourself. Take ten min. In autumn, you take them off. Guess he hasn't figured that out yet. I find it funny he mentioned supercial stuff like the fridge, but not important differences like the fact that all our walls, also the interior walls, are generelly brick and mortar or concrete.

[@JackNapierDe]

you can also get more professional screens from the window manufacturer or your "Fensterbauer", that are pre mounted in a frame. Those you can easily install in spring and take out for storage in fall/autumn. These are also available for balcony doors.

[@Isa-de2yf]

@@JackNapierDe that is true, but probably makes more sense when you don't live in a rented apartment...

[@alansmithee8831]

Hello Joel. Look out! 😱 Locked out! 🤯 Some of this is common with UK as Ethan spotted on Midwest Americans. Like you said it is the climate, as I realised in a bad storm in Texas, that took my bucket full of water right over the house, what we would call a bungalow (one level).

[@melaniehartmann5202]

Personally, I think it's good that our windows and doors are secured and are not so easy to open from the outside. I watch a lot of crime documentaries about crime in America and it seems to be common practice for the murderers to simply walk in the front or back door or simply push up the windows and that's not uncommon. Our refrigerators also have freezer compartments if desired. You can buy fly screens at any time and easily install them yourself. I'm amazed that in America there's a lot of emphasis on keeping flies etc. out of the house, but everyone else can just walk in 😆 Warm greetings from Germany. I think your channel is great.

[@elliotschka]

The heater situation isn't really correct. In winter you have to heat the whole house not just single rooms otherwise you create a "Wärmebrücke" (a difference in temperature) where humidity can build up in the walls. This will then lead to mold.

[@blondkatze3547]

I would also think it would be good if it were standard in Germany that there were fly screens in rented apartments, then in the summer you wouldn`t always have the problem when you`re cooking and the window is open with the buzzers.We personally have our own house open the country and life in the village.We also had to attack the fly screens to our windows so that one is protected from vermin and mosquitoes in summer.

[@mizudoragonyt1738]

just because you don't look properly doesn't mean they don't exist and besides, that always depends on whether a fridge looks like a fridge

[@silviahannak3213]

You say 1st Floor but we call it Ground Floor. Only when youbgo up..than it's the 1st or second. Einbauküche. Freezers are built in or do have a separate opening. It is like that so it has the same surface. But i guess there are also ppl with Stand alone Fridges/Freezers

[@Lari00n]

Nearly 100% accurate...we have kind of "standalone" freezer instead.

[@chrstiania]

it's not necessarily a very modern house. sure, the furniture is modern. But radiators, fridges that look like a cabinet, shutters on windows was already a standard in the 1980s

[@tomedmonds1714]

We Germans do have freezers, usually at the bottom of the fridge

[@Tenbrock]

Yes, your skepticism is justified. The windows and the front door is actually typical. However, heating is typical only in older houses. I think he lives in a house from the 90's. The shutters are electric in modern homes. The heating is in the floor (underfloor heating) The toilet has today a 2-volume cistern. The shower is level with the floor. (without step) Of course there are also one-storey houses in Germany and houses that stand alone are the rule and not the exception in rural areas. It should take a look at the country before he makes a video like this. by the way i have this Toilet: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqXUdGd4itJkmqs Greetings from Germany!

[@crusher1980]

Actually the big freezer he showed from the US is what Ive bought for myself, my brother and sister also have these big ones, I definately prefer them if you have the space. Usually freezers in homes are visible and not blended with wood, but looks nice tho :). And we also have screens for windows, its just not standard. I guess we dont live in such a warm climate where we have to deal all year around with bugs. The toilet not being mounted to the ground has the advantage of cleaning the floor, always annoying with ground mounted toilets (we had them too when I was young).

[@silkyh]

Kitchens have a refrigerator and a freezer combined it’s just not as huge as in the States

[@biankakoettlitz6979]

He forgot the main difference about the houses. In America, referring to Felis video you can easily make a hole in a inner wall and the isolation is not so great, in German houses you hurt yourself and the isolation is way better.

[@pv-mm2or]

Most of this sounded very British, a pound for every time I've lock myself out, I would be a rich man!

[@alicelindores22]

no, not every German has an intergrated fridge/freezer but yes, they are popular

[@awo166]

The toilet tank is easily accessible even if it’s behind the wall

[@Min0r1337]

on the toilette thing.. living for 30 years in my house. Never need to Repair anything^^ its german engeneering :-)

[@lindasweeney969]

NO you have more space and particularly flat space.

[@nephilim2582]

Hello from Germany! We in Germany also have a lot of Tornados! even most in Europe! Because of the cold air from the north, and the warm air from the south! Not as strong as in the US but they do some damage too! Due to climate change, they are becoming more common, stronger and bigger! Greetings Nephilim

[@fxlei1856]

Germany has just as many tornadoes by area as the USA with a similar power distribution , so they are definitely not the reason for lower houses.